EP0342099B1 - Actuating device for a vehicle door lock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a locking actuator for a lock, in particular for a vehicle door.

French patent 2,585,057 discloses a locking actuator for a vehicle door lock, comprising an electric motor rotating a reversible screw on which is screwed a carriage carrying a shoe, the assembly translating to actuate a lever. conviction. The shoe slides on a flat cam provided with ramps, moving in vertical translation. It is likely to lock the carriage in the locked position after sliding on the ramps. Thus any manual unlocking of the lock from its anti-theft position is prohibited.

Therefore, to still be able to open the lock in the event of a power failure, this actuator requires the addition of a troubleshooting device by a complex lock on the lock.

The invention therefore aims to provide an actuator made so that in the event of a power failure, the unlocking of the lock can be obtained without the addition of an emergency lock, complex and expensive.

The actuator according to the invention comprises, in a known manner, the elements mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.

According to the invention, this actuator comprises the means mentioned in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Thus, it is no longer necessary to add to the actuator a special emergency device for unlocking the lock from its anti-theft position. Indeed, in the event of an electrical failure while the actuator is in the anti-theft position, the lock can be unlocked normally by the key by manual actuation of the locking lever which drives the carriage by means of the aforementioned means, and consequently l 'nut and cam to the unlocked position.

According to a feature of the invention, the cam is provided with first and second profiled lugs spaced apart by a spacing allowing inserting between them a profiled control stud constituting said element integral with the nut, this position of the stud corresponding to the locked position of the lock.

Other features of the invention will become apparent during the description which follows, given with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the locking actuator for door lock covered by the invention, the cover being removed.

Figure 2 is an external perspective view of the actuator and associated levers of the lock mechanism.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the actuator of Fig.1 in the unlocked position, the cam being shown in phantom to facilitate understanding.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig.3 showing the actuator in the compression position of the spring by the nut during the transition from the unlocked position to the locked position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig.3 and 4 showing the actuator in the anti-theft position.

Figure 6 is a sectional view along 6-6 of Fig.7 of the cam, and its control mechanism.

Figure 7 is a top view of the cam and by transparency thereof, of its control mechanism.

Figure 8 is a double top view (8A) and in elevation (8B) of the stud secured to the cam control nut.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the cam along 9-9 of FIG. 10.

Figures 11 to 14 are top views of the cam and its control stud secured to the nut, showing the successive phases of a sequence of passage from the unlocked position to the locked position.

Figures 15 to 17 are views similar to Figures 11 to 14 illustrating a sequence of passage from the locked position to the anti-theft position.

Figures 18 and 19 are views similar to Figures. previous illustrating a sequence of return of the cam from its anti-theft position of Fig.17 to its unlocked position of Fig.11.

• a) un moteur électrique 1 pouvant entraîner en rotation une vis réversible 2 par l'intermédiaire d'un embrayage 3, et d'un train d'engrenages 4 et 5. La vis 2 traverse un écrou 6, qui coulisse dans une rainure d'un chariot 7 relié à un levier de condamnation intérieure 17 par l'intermédiaire d'un bras 9 articulé sur le chariot et qui porte un axe 27 ;
• b) une came 10 montée pivotante autour d'un axe A lié à un boîtier 18 contenant les organes précités ainsi que les éléments constitutifs de l'actionneur proprement dit. Sur cette came 10 sont aménagées des rampes incurvées a, b, c, sur lesquelles peut glisser un élément de commande 14, celui-ci étant constitué ici par un téton solidaire de l'écrou 6. C'est lors du déplacement en translation du téton 14 sur les rampes de la came 10 que celle-ci pivote autour de l'axe A. Le déplacement dans le sens positif (vers la droite aux Fig.4-6) ou négatif du chariot 7 portant l'écrou 6, dépend du sens de rotation du moteur 1 ;
• c) une cinématique 11, 12, 31, 13 de liaison entre la came 10 d'une part, un levier de condamnation intérieure 17 et un levier de commande d'ouverture intérieure 20 d'autre part ;
• d) des moyens élastiques de rappel de l'écrou 6 dans sa position initiale de fond de rainure du chariot 7, constitués par un ressort de compression 8 qui maintient l'écrou 6 dans ladite rainure. Le moteur 1, tournant dans le sens trigonométrique, entraîne la vis 2 solidaire de la roue 5 dans le sens horaire, déplaçant le chariot 7 et l'écrou 6 dans le sens positif. Lorsque le chariot 7 arrive en fin de course, l'écrou 6 comprime le ressort hélicoïdal 8 dans le fond de la rainure du chariot et coulisse dans celle-ci jusqu'à des butées de glissières. Dans cette position le chariot 7 condamne mécaniqument le mécanisme de la serrure ;
• e) les rampes a, b, c étant profilées de manière à permettre le passage d'une position décondamnée des leviers précités 17 et 20 à une position condamnée ou inversement, puis le passage de la position condamnée à une position antivol dans laquelle, par l'intermédiaire de ladite cinématique, le levier de condamnation intérieure 17 est débrayé, le rendant inopérant et le levier d'ouverture intérieure 20 est bloqué, et enfin, le passage de la position antivol à la position décondamnée.

The actuator shown in the drawings is intended to secure the locking of a lock, in particular of a vehicle door, and comprises in combination the following elements:

• a) an electric motor 1 which can drive a reversible screw 2 in rotation via a clutch 3, and a gear train 4 and 5. The screw 2 passes through a nut 6, which slides in a groove d 'A carriage 7 connected to an inner locking lever 17 via an arm 9 articulated on the carriage and which carries an axis 27;
• b) a cam 10 pivotally mounted about an axis A linked to a housing 18 containing the aforementioned members as well as the constituent elements of the actuator itself. On this cam 10 are arranged curved ramps a, b, c, on which a control element 14 can slide, the latter being constituted here by a stud secured to the nut 6. It is during the translational movement of the stud 14 on the ramps of the cam 10 that the latter pivots about the axis A. The displacement in the positive (to the right in Fig.4-6) or negative direction of the carriage 7 carrying the nut 6, depends on the direction of rotation of the motor 1;
• c) kinematics 11, 12, 31, 13 for connection between the cam 10 on the one hand, an interior locking lever 17 and an interior opening control lever 20 on the other hand;
• d) elastic means for returning the nut 6 to its initial position at the bottom of the groove of the carriage 7, constituted by a compression spring 8 which holds the nut 6 in said groove. The motor 1, rotating counterclockwise, drives the screw 2 secured to the wheel 5 clockwise, moving the carriage 7 and the nut 6 in the positive direction. When the carriage 7 reaches the end of the stroke, the nut 6 compresses the helical spring 8 in the bottom of the groove of the carriage and slides therein until the stops of the slides. In this position the carriage 7 mechanically condemns the mechanism of the lock;
• e) the ramps a, b, c being profiled so as to allow the passage from a unlocked position of the aforementioned levers 17 and 20 to a locked position or vice versa, then the passage from the locked position to an anti-theft position in which, by through said kinematics, the interior locking lever 17 is disengaged, rendering it inoperative and the interior opening lever 20 is blocked, and finally, the passage from the anti-theft position to the unlocked position.

To be able to enable these functions, the cam 10 is provided with first and second lugs, d and e having suitably profiled ramps, and spaced apart by a spacing allowing the insertion between them of the control stud 14. The rotary lever 17 around the axis 27, and the lever 21 driven by this same axis, form an assembly capable of taking in shears a stud 28 of the link 13. The lever 21 has a bistable position thanks to an associated part 22, and the lever 17 is retained by means of a torsion spring 23.

The connection kinematics between the cam 10 and the two aforementioned two levers 20,17 comprises a lever 11 articulated on the cam 10, a first link 12 articulated in a buttonhole 47 of said lever in order to allow the latter to slide relative to the link 12, a second link 31 integral in rotation with the first link 12 and articulated on an arm 13 which carries pins 28, 26 for disengaging the interior locking lever 17 and locking the interior opening control lever 20 when the stud 14 and the cam 10 are in the anti-theft position. The links 12 and 31 are secured in rotation by the axis 30.

The mechanism in Fig. 2, mounted on a cover 40, fits over the top of the anti-theft control box 18 in Fig. 1 thanks to the pins 27 and 30 passing through the cover 40.

In the cam 10 is arranged a first inclined ramp a, starting from an edge of the cam and which is extended by a notch f inside which the stud 14 can be accommodated. The cam then comprises a second curved ramp b, contiguous with the notch f and extending therefrom on the side opposite to the first ramp a, the ramp b being convex with an appropriate radius of curvature.

Finally, the cam 10 has a third ramp c convex and positioned opposite the ramp b and the notch f, but having a different radius of curvature. The two pins d, e are located between on the one hand the ramp c and on the other hand the ramps a, b and the notch f.

These pins d and e have a height of about two times less than that of the ramps a, b, c, (Fig. 9). They have contour lines designed to allow the appropriate sliding of an end portion h of the stud 14 extending a wider portion k adapted to slide on the ramps a, b, or c (Fig. 8A, 8B, 9). The stud 14 thus has two stages (h, k), each with a particular geometry to be able to move correctly against the ramps a-b-c and the pins d-e so as to rotate the cam 10, in one direction or the other. The two pins d and e are therefore only in contact with the upper stage h of the stud 14, while the ramps a-b-c receive both the upper stage h and the lower stage k. The lugs d and e have two surfaces, respectively d1, e1, inclined opposite the housing f and the ramp b, extended by two other surfaces d2, e2, oriented downwards considering Figs. 10 to 17. The lug e is provided with a surface e3 opposite the surface d2. Finally the convex ramp c is extended towards the axis A by a straight ramp c1.

The actuator operating sequences will now be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 17.

1. Transition from unlocking to conviction (Fig. 11 to 14 and 3-4).

In the unlocked position (Fig. 11), the stud 14 is in contact with the ramp c1. The arm 13 is in the position visible in FIG. 2, in which the lever 20 for controlling the interior opening can be maneuvered. The arm 13 is in fact engaged by its pin 28 between the levers 17 and 21, which allows the clutch 17 to be locked internally, while the pin 26 is not engaged in the fork 24.

The operator gives a preprogrammed impulse to the motor 1, to move the stud 14 to the right by considering Figs 3 and 11. The upper stages h and lower k of the stud 14 slide on the first ramp a and rotate the cam 10 counterclockwise around the axis A, until the pin 14 comes to lodge at the bottom of the notch f (Fig.12). The nut 6 drives in its translation, in the positive direction, the carriage 7 which pivots the arm 9 and the lever 17, and the spring 8 is then compressed to the maximum (Fig. 4). During its pivoting, the cam 6 drives the lever 11 in translation, and the buttonhole 46 of the latter slides relative to its articulation 47 on the link 12, but on an insufficient stroke to modify the angular position of the latter (Fig. .4).

Then, the motor 1 being no longer supplied, the spring 8 expands and automatically recalls the stud 14 in the bottom of the groove 45 of the carriage 7, in the locking position (Fig.13-14). During this backtracking, it is the upper part h of the stud 14 which comes into contact with the surface d1, and comes to slide between the internal surfaces d2, e3 of the lugs d, e, which causes a pivoting additional cam 10 in the same direction as before. At the end of the race, the extreme part h of the stud comes to rest between the two pins. The pivoting of the cam 10 from its position in FIG. 11 to that of FIG. 14 brings about a displacement of the lever 11 bringing the hinge pin 47 into contact with the bottom of the buttonhole or oblong hole 46. But this movement does not cause any movement of the rods 12,31 and of the return lever 13. Thus, the pin 28 remains engaged between the levers 17 and 21, and the interior opening control lever 20 remains free.

From this locked position, if one then wants to access the unlocked position, an impulse is given to the motor 1 in the opposite direction to the first, and the extreme h and contiguous parts k of the stud 14 slide on the ramp c (Fig. 19) to arrive on ramp c1 in unlocking position (Fig. 11 and 3).

2. Switching from the locked position to the anti-theft position (Fig. 14 to 17)

Starting from the locked position (Fig. 14), a second impulse is given to motor 1 in the same direction. Therefore the stud 14 moves in the positive direction, to the right considering Fig.15 and comes into contact with the start of the ramp b, at the edge of the notch f, which causes the pivoting of the cam 10 in the same counterclockwise direction as above. Then, the motor 1 being no longer supplied, the spring 8 automatically recalls the nut 6 with its stud 14 in the bottom of the groove 45 of the carriage 7. The extreme part h of the stud 14 therefore slides on the surface e1 of the lug to take the position of Fig.17, and continues to rotate the cam 10. The part h of the stud 14 is thus finally in contact with the surface e2.

The two successive angular strokes of the cam 10 from the position of FIG. 14 to that of FIG. 17 control the anti-theft function of the actuator via the kinematics 11, 12, 31, 13.

Indeed, the rotation of the cam 10 (Fig. 15 to 17) drives the lever 11 so that the axis 47 abuts at the bottom of the buttonhole 46 and that the lever 11 rotates the connecting rods 12, 31 secured by axis 30, to their position in Fig. 5. This pivoting drives the lever 13, the finger 28 of which emerges from the lever 17 and the fork 21, and the finger 26 of which engages in the fork 24, which blocks the lever 20 and disengages the internal locking lever 17, the interior opening control thus being rendered inoperative.

It should be noted that the carriage 7 remains fixed during the passage from the locking position to the anti-theft position.

3. Switching from the anti-theft position to the unlocked position (Fig. 17 to 19)

Starting from the anti-theft position (Fig. 17), an impulse is given to the motor 1 to move the stud 14 in the negative direction, towards the ramp c. The sliding of the end part h of the stud 14 on the ramp c causes the cam 10 to tilt in the opposite direction (clockwise) from that which brought it into the anti-theft position (FIGS. 18 and 19). After sliding on the ramp c, the stud 14 stops on the ramp c1 in the unlocked position (Fig. 11).

Correlatively, the kinematics 11, 12, 31, 13 was actuated to release the interior opening control lever 20 from the finger 26 and engage the interior locking lever 17 by the finger 28.

The actuator which has just been described is provided with an anti-theft system which does not block the device for locking the lock, but which controls by means of suitable kinematics, the simultaneous disengagement of the locking control lever interior 17 and lever 20 controlling the interior opening. This anti-theft system is controlled by the cam 10 during its rotation around the axis A.

As already indicated, it is possible to unlock the lock normally with the key from its anti-theft position in Fig. 17. Indeed, thanks to the link arm 9 between the carriage 7 and the locking lever 17, the actuation of the latter by the key makes it possible to move the carriage 7, therefore the stud 14 the nut 6 the cam 10 and the kinematics 11, 12, 31, 13 from the anti-theft position to the unlocked position allowing the opening of the lock.

In the event of a failure of the electrical power supply to the motor, this has an important advantage compared to the actuator known from the aforementioned French patent and to those which require, for this eventuality, an additional complex safety lock.

According to an alternative embodiment of the actuator, it is possible to simplify the disengagement control of the locking lever 17 and of the lever 20 for interior opening control by making the pivoting cam 10 act directly on the lever of the lock. The cam 10 is then directly connected to the interior locking lever 17, and a locking element of the interior opening control lever is secured in rotation with the cam.

Claims (6)

1. Locking actuator for a lock, notably for a vehicle door, comprising:

   a) an electric motor (1) able to drive in rotation a reversible screw (2) passing through a nut (6) locked with respect to rotation and able to slide in a carriage (7) through which the screw passes, control connection means between the carriage (7) and an internal locking lever (17) for the lock;

   b) elastic means (8) for returning the nut (6) to its initial position after axial travel in one of its directions of translational movement on the screw (2);
   characterised in that it comprises:

   c) a cam (10) mounted so as to pivot about a shaft (A) linked to a casing (18) containing the aforesaid components, in which ramps (a, b, c) are provided on which a control member (14) enabling the said cam to pivot can slide, this control member being attached to the nut (6), driven in translation in one direction or in the opposite direction by the actuation of the motor (1);

   d) a kinematic chain (11, 12, 31, 13) providing connection between the cam (10) on the one hand and the internal locking lever (17) and an internal opening control lever (20) on the other hand;

   e) the ramps (a, b,c) on the cam (10) being shaped so as to allow, through the kinematic chain, passage from an unlocked position of the aforesaid levers (20, 17) to a locked position or vice versa, and then passage from the locked position to an anti-theft position in which, by means of the said kinematic chain, the internal locking lever (17) is disengaged and made inoperative and the internal opening lever (20) is locked, and finally passage from the anti-theft position to the unlocked position, and

   f) the kinematic chain providing connection between the cam (11) and the aforesaid two levers (20, 17) comprises a lever (11) articulated on the cam (10), a first rocker (12) articulated in an opening (47) in the said lever in order to allow the latter to slide with respect to the rocker (12), a second rocker (31) fixed to the first rocker (12) with respect to rotation and articulated on an arm (13) which carries pins (28, 26) for disengaging the internal locking lever (17) and for locking the internal opening control lever (20) when the stud (14) and cam (10) are in the anti-theft position.
2. Actuator according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cam (10) is provided with first and second shaped snugs (d, e) separated by a distance allowing the insertion between them of a shaped control stud (14) constituting the said member attached to the nut (6), this position of the stud corresponding to the locked position of the lock, and the snugs being disposed between the ramps on the cam (10).
3. Actuator according to Claim 2, characterised in that a first inclined ramp (a) is provided in the cam (10), extended by a recess (f) into which the stud (14) controlling the cam (10) can fit at the end of a first movement in the positive direction under an impulse from the motor (1) starting from the unlocked position, after which, the motor being stopped, the elastic means (8) for returning the nut (6) and stud (14) automatically bring the latter between the two snugs (d, e), in the locked position.
4. Actuator according to Claim 3, characterised in that the cam (10) has a second curved ramp (b) contiguous with the recess (f) and on the side of the latter opposite to the first ramp (a), against which the control stud (14) is able to slide, driven by the motor (1) in a second movement from the locked position and in the same positive direction as during its first movement, the return means (8) automatically bringing the stud (14) against one (e) of the snugs in the anti-theft position after stoppage of the motor.
5. Actuator according to Claim 4, characterised in that the cam (10) has a third curved ramp (c) produced substantially facing the second ramp (b), from it is separated by a given distance, the snugs (d, c) being positioned between the first and second ramps (a, b) on the one hand and the third ramp (c) on the other hand, and the stud (14) can slide on the third ramp (c) in a third movement in the negative direction by actuation of the motor (1) in the opposite direction to the previous one, causing the cam (10) to pivot until it returns to the locked position.
6. Actuator according to Claim 1, characterised in that the means of returning the nut (6) comprise a spring (8) compressed, during a locking movement, between the nut and the bottom of a carriage (7) containing this nut and through which the screw (2) passes, and this carriage (7) is mechanically connected to the internal locking lever (17), for example by an arm (9) articulated on the hand on the carriage and on the other hand about a shaft (27) carried by the casing (18).

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